Laying drainage pipes in sewer systems is a labor intensive and time consuming process. First, a trench must be excavated for accommodating the sewer pipes to be laid in segments along the length of the trench. The elevation of the ground surface of the trench must be meticulously measured periodically along its length to ensure that pipe segments are positioned at the desired elevation. Next, at least two laborers are required to fill-in the trench. One laborer must maintain the pipes in position while the second laborer covers the pipes with backfill material.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,242,247 issued to Murphy provides an apparatus for simplifying the laying of pipes. The apparatus includes a shaft insertable in a trench and multiple parts including an inner sleeve adjustably coupled to the shaft having a bottom pipe support projecting therefrom, and an outer sleeve adjustably fitted over the inner shaft and including a grasping member for securing an upper end of the pipe. A handle is also provided for raising and lowering the grasping member away from and toward the pipe. Once the grasping member is lifted away from the pipe after the pipe has been set in the trench, an additional handle on the top of the shaft must be employed to twist the shaft in order to move the bottom support away from the bottom of the pipe so that the apparatus can then be lifted out of the ground without disturbing the pipe.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,568,455 issued to McClaughlin et al. shows a method of laying pipe which includes an adjustable sleeve receivable by a stake inserted into the ground. The sleeve carries an overhanging bracket shaped to conform around an upper portion of a pipe. A cable underslings the pipe for supporting the pipe in an elevated position. A drawback with this method is that the cable must be released before the pipe is covered with backfill, thus risking movement of the pipe.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a pipe holder apparatus of simple construction which overcomes the above-mentioned drawbacks and disadvantages.